Many devices exist for electrostatically precipitating contaminants from the air. There are also a number of devices directed toward the creation of ozone to help clean and purify the air. Electrostatic precipitation is particularly effective for removing particulate impurities from the air. By passing contaminated air successively through an electrostatic air filter, the particulate matter can be effectively removed. However, the problem of odors resulting from stale tobacco, body perspiration and the like is not remedied by electrostatic precipitation. Accordingly, the use of an ozone gas generator which supplies ozone to the air has been proven effective in oxidizing micro-organisms such as bacteria to kill the same which eliminates odors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,712 to Tongret teaches an air cleansing system using treated recirculating air. The system comprises a portable housing having an air entrance and air exit openings. The housing incorporates an electrostatic air cleaner, a charcoal filter, an ozone gas generator and a negative ion generator to provide treated air having ozone and negatives ions and wherein the electrostatic cleaner and charcoal filter physically and chemically remove impurities from the air.
Another example of a prior art reference which is utilized to clean surrounding air is U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,400 to Bennett et al. This invention discloses an air purifying apparatus having an ozone generator and an electrostatic filter. The air purifier includes two charge carrying plates abutting opposite sides of a planar dielectic layer along the entire width of each plate, one of the plates being relatively narrow in width in comparison to the other plate. The plate configuration prolongs the life of the dielectric layer and permits easy cleaning of the air purifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,991 to Kawashima discloses an air cleaning apparatus including a plurality of dust collecting electrodes alternately arranged with panel electrodes and spaced from each other at predetermined intervals to form air flow passages. The intervals between the panel electrodes and the dust collecting electrodes are selected to maintain a predetermined potential gradient in response to the value of the voltage applied between the panel electrodes and the dust collecting electrodes, whereby corona discharges are generated between the dust collecting electrodes and the ionizing wires to produce air streams.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,115 to Yikai et al. teaches an air cleaner including an electric precipitating apparatus that employs corona discharge and an ozone removing apparatus downstream of the precipitating apparatus. The ozone removing apparatus has a carbon filter, and is charged with a low positive voltage to remove ozone generated by the precipitating apparatus by chemical conversion to oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Other examples of prior art which are representative of methods and apparatuses used for the electrostatic precipitation of contaminants in the air and/or the use of ozone to clean the air are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,859, U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,190, U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,559 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,095.
Although each of the foregoing references disclose devices and processes which are satisfactory for their intended purposes, none of the references disclose a method or apparatus for cleaning air in the manner that is claimed herein.